Proxibid is the premier provider of live Internet auctions, where you can participate in real live events, conducted by real auctioneers, from the comfort of your home or office. When you place a bid on Proxibid, a person located at the auction site places your bid on your behalf, as if you were sitting in the auction room! Many Proxibid auctions feature streaming live audio and video to give you the feeling of being at the auction.

Before you can participate in an auction you must create a live bidding account. Once your account has been created you may choose an auction in which you would like to bid. Simply click on the "Registration" button located throughout the listing and catalog. You will need to provide your contact information, shipping location, and valid credit card.

Every auction has different terms and conditions that you must agree to before bidding. The auction company’s terms and conditions will be presented to you during the registration process, and will cover the following items: Payment, shipping, Internet and onsite buyer’s premiums, and other essential information.

Some auction companies will need to validate your credentials, such as a Federal Tax ID number for businesses or a Bank Letter of Guarantee, which can be obtained from your financial institution. This information will be used to determine your ability to pay, and ultimately if you will be approved to bid. Your Federal Tax ID or Bank Letter of Guarantee must be faxed to the location specified on the auction listing. Please allow 24-48 hours prior to the auction date for processing this information.

Making a purchase on Proxibid is much different than making one on a traditional retail site. The item you are purchasing can be one-of-a-kind, used, or new. All sales on Proxibid are final. All items are sold as is, where is, with all the faults, imperfections, omissions and errors in the written description and photography. Neither Proxibid nor the auction company are responsible for any errors or omissions in the description or photography provided on this Web site or in Proxibid’s bidding application. It is the sole responsibility of the bidder/buyer to conduct due diligence to verify the condition and description of an item prior to placing any bid on this Web site.

There are three ways to bid on Proxibid: Live Internet Bidding, Pre-Bidding / Absentee Bidding, and Timed Bidding

A pre-bid or absentee bid entered through our Web site will be placed by an auction agent that is present at the live auction. Proxibid and our auction company partners will do our best to acquire your item at the lowest possible price. Pre-bidding begins once the catalog is online and the place “Bid Button” is visible. Approximately 30 minutes before the auctioneer starts the live auction pre-bidding will end on Proxibid’s Web site. You can still login to the live auction to continue bidding even if your pre-bid amount has been exceeded.

Approximately 30 minutes before the posted start time the auction company’s listing will become "live". In this mode the "Bid Live" button will activate (you may need to refresh your browser to see the button) and pulsate orange throughout Proxibid’s Web site.

Once the "Bid Live" feature is turned on you will be able to login to the live auction. You must be registered for the auction before you can proceed. Once the bidding application installs onto your computer, you will be able to place bids during the live auction. Your bids will be sent to an auction agent that is located at the auction site, who will bid on your behalf. Placing a bid through Proxibid’s bidding application takes only a fraction of a second, but you still need to leave a sufficient amount of time for the auction agent to communicate your bid to the auctioneer.

Please note! -- Satellite Internet connections are not compatible with live Internet bidding because the inherent delay of the satellite signal.

Proxibid offer two types of timed auctions: stand alone timed auctions and timed absentee bidding.

Stand alone timed auctions: Stand alone timed auctions have a set duration (up to two weeks). When the set time period ends the highest bidder wins the item.

Timed absentee bidding: Timed absentee bids are taken during a set timeframe prior to the start of a real live auction. At the end of the specified time, the winning absentee bid, or proxybid, will be taken to the auction where it will compete with real live bidders. As with any auction, the highest bidder will win the item.

• Register early: In many cases your personal information must be reviewed by an auction company or Proxibid customer support in order for you to be approved. We recommend that you register at least 24-48 hours in advance of the auction start time.
  
• Leave pre-bids: Pre-bids will give you the best chance to win an item in the event there is a technical issue or you cannot participate in the live auction online.
  
• Bid aggressively: The auctioneer will pay more attention to the auction agent when they have active online bidders. If you wait to place your bid when the onsite crowd finally slows down you could lose the item.
  
• Don’t wait to bid: If you wait too late to bid during a live auction you will risk losing the item. We recommend that you place your bid before the “once - twice” lights on the bidder application have been activated by the auction agent.

Many auctions offer live audio and video streaming. You will need to have a high-speed Internet connection to access audio and video. Audio and video streaming may be delayed for a variety of reasons. Do not rely on audio or video when placing a bid during a live auction.

Determine your shipping cost before placing a bid on any item. Many items on Proxibid are one-of-a-kind, and most are not in their original packaging. Auction companies typically pass on the costs of preparation, packing, and shipping on to the buyer. The cost of packing includes shipping materials and time spent preparing your item. Please call the auction company or preferred shipper directly for all questions regarding shipping details.
Below are links to popular packing/shipping companies to further assist in assessing your cost.

United States Postal Service
Fed-Ex
UPS
Craters and Freighters

Insurance:
Always request shipping insurance on all items. Adding insurance will allow you to track your package. Declining insurance gives you very little recourse in the event that your items are lost or damaged in the shipping process.

Payment details can be found on the “Info” button. Auction companies that accept credit cards will request your information during the registration process and will charge your card immediately following the auction. Shipping charges may be billed separately. Auction companies that do not accept credit cards will include detailed instructions as to how to make payment at the close of the auction.

Buying at auction is different than buying retail. Once the auction is over, unwanted items cannot easily be resold. Any bidder who cannot make full payment agrees to pay $25 plus 25% of the invoice (including tax and buyer’s premium) for the cost associated with re-marketing, storage and other expenses incurred when preparing the item to be resold at a future auction. If an item is resold for less than the original hammer price, the bidder will be responsible for making up the difference.

Proxibid and our auction company partners are aggressive in the pursuit of payment. Bidders who choose not to pay are subject to having their account permanently closed. Proxibid and our auction company partners use a collection agency to assist with the recovery of all relevant fees.

By using Proxibid, you have agreed not to initiate a charge-back for items purchased. Any customer that initiates a charge-back is subject to having their account permanently closed. Additionally, we will report their activity to law enforcement and the customer will be subject to a collection agency to recover fees associated with this transaction.

An absentee bid gives the auction company the authority to bid on your behalf, up to the amount you have specified.

An absentee bid entered through our Web site will be executed by an auction agent attending the live auction. Proxibid and our auction company partners will do our best to acquire your item at the lowest possible price.

An auctioneer may group many items together to be sold for one price. The hammer price will be the total for all the items in the group.

Individual responsible for running Proxibid’s live Internet bidding software, and will place bids on behalf of Internet bidders at the live auction.

This is a fee that you see at traditional auctions that is added to the final price of an item. The fees can range from 1% to as high as 20% depending on the type of inventory being sold. For example: if there is a buyer’s premium of 5% on a $10 item, the cost would be $10.50. This purchase is still subject to sales tax and any packing and shipping costs associated with your item.

An auctioneer may combine similar items together in a “choice” group. The high bidder has the right to select which items in the group that they want times the final price. For example: the auctioneer groups three lawnmowers and offers them as choice. The winning bidder then has the option to select one or more of the lawnmowers. If the final price is $10, and the bidder selects all three mowers, the total amount due will be $30.

This is the final price when an auctioneer says "sold!" or when the time has run out on a timed auction.

Specific item to be sold at auction.

Pre-bidding gives the auction company the authority to bid on your behalf, up to the amount you have specified.

The number of items in the group multiplied by the hammer price. If five items are sold times the money and you won it for $5, the final hammer price would be $25.

This connection type cannot be use in "real time" applications such as our live bidding application. For more information on this topic, click here.

In order to bid live online please make sure that your system meets the minimum system requirements listed below.

Restrictions for all system types

- Satellite Internet is not compatible with live Internet bidding.
- Wireless Internet connections increase your chances of getting disconnected during a live auction, therefore they are not recommended.
- Dial-Up connections that regularly fall below 28.8 Kbps may have difficulty keeping pace with auctioneers that sell faster than 120 lots per hour.

Microsoft Windows based Computers

Operating system: Windows 2000, XP, Vista (Windows 98 is no longer supported but may be compatible)
Processor: Pentium III -- 500MHz processor or faster (Intel dual core preferred)
RAM: 256 MB or greater (1GB for Vista)
Disk space: 150 MB free
Software: Java 2 (Runtime Environment 5.0 or Greater) – Download
Modem with 33.3 Kbps or faster connection speed – Test Connection Speed
Browser: Internet explorer 6 or 7, Firefox 1.5 and up

Apple / Macintosh Computers

Operating system: OS X 10.3 and newer
Processor: G4 500 MHz or faster (Intel processor preferred)
RAM: 256 MB or greater
Disk space: 150 MB free
Software: Java 2 (Runtime Environment 5.0) – Download Java - PowerPC | Download Java - Intel
Modem with 33.3 Kbps or faster connection speed – Test Connection Speed
Browser: Firefox 1.5 and up